


things we'll never see again

by Kensington



Series: things we lost in the fire [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Child Death, Magical Realism, North American witches and wizards, Other, Post - Deathly Hallows, Post-Hogwarts, Science and Magic, Terrorism, magical colonialism, magical cultural erasure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-28
Updated: 2014-05-28
Packaged: 2018-01-26 23:23:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1706330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kensington/pseuds/Kensington
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kalea remembers having to bind Sam to keep him from charging out of their hastily warded classroom. </p><p>She can’t forget his desperate and screaming attempt to get to his little sister before the Death Eaters did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	things we'll never see again

**Author's Note:**

> Pretty much what it says on the label. 
> 
> A drabble about magical colonialism, magical cultural erasure and what exactly goes on in the North American magical education system.

“Yes, I understand, but formless magic is not allowed on the exam-“ Ms. Harrison’s voice is cold, brittle, and unamused. 

“It’s called multi-form, and has been officially recognized by ROWAN as a legitimate magic discipline for ten years. I mean, never mind that they’re lumping everyone and everything that isn’t Latin or Greek based into one freaking-“ Kalea leans over her desk, face twisted in annoyance.

“Kalea! Your feelings have been noted, but the school doesn’t allow multi-form magic on standardized tests because it creates an unfair disparity between you and your classmates.” Ms. Harrison’s voice cracks like a whip, cutting off her student with practiced finality. Kalea, ignoring the uncomfortable shifting of her classmates, crosses her arms over her chest, baring her teeth in what could be a smile.

“You do realize you’re breaking the law? You can’t exclude multi-form magic, it’s discrimination.” Kalea says, taking a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm herself. She makes a frustrated gesture and looks down at the floor, trying to ensure that she doesn’t get detention, again. Ms. Harrison gives no quarter, her face pinched into a sour expression of disapproval. Kalea, trying to distract herself, clumsily ties her thick, dark hair into a bun at the nape of her neck. Tentatively, her newest classmate, Andrew Bond, raises his hand, his expression careful. Ms. Harrison narrows her eyes at him in consideration, before slowly nodding.

“Kalea’s right. I mean, the school can’t exclude her from using her traditional magic just because it would make it harder to grade tests.” Andrew says, his Scottish accent thickening with stress under the harsh glare of his teacher. Kalea jerks her head to stare at him in shock, because here is the boy that six months ago still referred to America as “the colonies.” She would never expect a Hogwarts transfer to understand the complexities of magical/cultural erasure. The classroom goes still, a hush of twenty some odd teenagers trying to disappear into their seats. Another student, Sarah Smallwood, raises her hand, her expression tight with anger.

“If you exclude Hawaiian magic, then you’ll be excluding Choctaw traditions, wont you?” Sarah asks, voice casual. She leans back in her chair, a challenge on her face. Ms. Harrison looks skyward, as if for patience, but before she can speak, another boy, Ben Chapman, leans forward in his seat.

“Cross Winds was created to allow all magic and all cultures to interact and learn from each other. But cutting out- entire cultures- excluding and segregation- it- its giving up, it’s exactly what they wanted.” Ben’s voice breaks, and he buries his head in his hands. The mood of the room shifts so swiftly it’s like all the air has been sucked out, Kalea thinks, distantly.

Kalea remembers having to bind Sam to keep him from charging out of their hastily warded classroom. She can’t forget his desperate, screaming attempt to get to his little sister before the Death Eaters did. While he didn’t scream when they heard the first distant explosion, he choked, moaned in such sorrow that it raised the hairs on the back of her arms. 20 first, second, and third graders died before ROWAN could break through the Death Eater’s barrier. Kalea had created a scrying window out of a water bottle and crushed flowers. She had thought- she had thought they could help somehow- but all it did was allow them to watch the slaughter in crystal clarity. Kalea was always best at scrying.

“They hated us for allowing magical backgrounds to mix, hated us for treating all magical traditions as equal. But now- we aren’t even that. Now you’ve just given up on us, shoving us into Latin and Greek as if it will bring them back.” Kalea hears herself speak, her voice flat, expressionless. She raises her eyes to meet the shocked gaze of her teacher.

"ROWAN’s shut down the country Kalea. Don’t be so naive. They’re controlling what magic is taught now, in some twisted response to the attacks.” Caroline Elliot says from across the room, leaning over her desk for emphasis. Kalea, face pinched in anger, spins in her seat to face the other girl.

"Yes! And how does that make us any better than the idiots running around in robes that caused all this? If we just shut down we let these maniacs win!” Kalea says, waving her hands for emphasis. It’s Ben who answers, sitting straight and tall now, his eyes red with tears over a mouth of gritted teeth.

"We aren’t better. If we just let ROWAN shush everything up, then it’s all for nothing. Their deaths will just go down as a footnote in a history book.” Ben’s voice is wrecked, hoarse and seeming to barely exist. All around the room, her classmates are stirring, faces bright with suppressed anger. Out of the corner of her eye, Kalea see’s Mrs. Harrison drop down into her chair, face ashen.

"So what do we do about it?” Kalea asks.


End file.
